Improved last



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N-PEEHS, PHOYO-UT HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.I. N. C. SAVELS, OF STOGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED LAST.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 42,796, dated May 17, 1864.

.7' 0 all whomit may concern:

t nown that I, I. N. C. SAVELS, of Stoughton, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improved Last; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of my invention suiicient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

My invention relates to a form of construction of lasts for boots and shoes; and it consists in gi lring to the bottom of the last, and more particularly the part thereof between the arch of the last and the toe, a peculiar convexity to form a corresponding' concavity in the sole of the boot or shoe, in connection with giving to the corresponding upper portion of the last a attened shape, all as will be hereinafter described.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings represents an inner side elevation of one of my improved lasts; Fig. 2, an end view thereof; Fig. 3, a cross-section through the toe thereof, taken lon the line x x of Fig. l; Fig. 4, a erosssection on the line z z of Fig. 1.

In the common form of lasts (a section of which taken in corresponding position to the section of my last seen in Fig. 4 is represented by Fig. 6) the bottom of the last is made with a gradual conveXity from the bottom edges, a a', while the sides c b a b rise nearly perpendicularly therefrom, and thetop is curved over, as seen at b c b. In wearing a boot made on such a last the bottom ofthe foot is made to press down unduly into the concavity or depression made therein by the curvature seen in the drawings, and the tendency of the boot is to bend up the sides of the foot adjacent to the ball thereof, instead of allowing the sole of the foot to set flatly and rmly into or upon the inside sole of the boot. Alter having been worn some length of time, the foot crowds into the surface of the upper sole, making so far as possible a depression therein corresponding to the at shape of the foot at this part thereof, and the upper surface of the boot becomes loose and wrinkled, while the foot sets loosely in the front part of the boot.

In what is called the Plumer 7 last (a section of which taken in corresponding position to Fig. 4 and 6 is shown in Fig. 5) it is attempted to make the last correspond in shape to the foot by creating in the lower surface thereof a transverse depression or arch, d e f. Now, although it may be true that this shape corresponds to the shape of the foot, it is also true, as I believe from experience, that the part of the foot coming upon the ridge or protuberance or sole of the boot formed by such concavity in the last should not be made a bearing-surface for the concavity or transverse arch in the foot to rest upon, but, on the contrary, should be left flat, so as to leave this part of the foot free from pressure, while the parts of the foot adjacent to or corresponding with the protuberances df of such last should be made, in resting upon the fore part of the foot, to sustain the weight of the body. Hence in wearing boots made on this last the protuberance formed by the concavity c constantly gives pain to the wearer until the pressure of the foot has ilattened it down. This last has alsothe defect of that shown in Fig. 6 of too great thickness and convexity of top surface, causing the top surface of the boot to set very loosely upon the foot, and to wrinkle greatly after a short wear, and when the sole of the foot has pressed into the upper or inner sole of the boot.

In constructing my last, I seek to remedy these defects, in order to obtain not only an easy-litting boot but one which shall always set snugly or closely to the upper surface of the foot and be free from wrinkles and liability to slip in wearing. This I accomplish by so making the last that the boot formed thereon shall receive the sole of the foot in the position easiest for the foot to continue without change during the wear of the boot.

In the first place, I make aprotuberance, g, in the last, as seen in Figs. l and 3, corresponding in position to the ball of the great toe of the foot, and then I make the sides of the last on the under surface thereof curving, as seen in h 'i h il in Fig. 4, leaving the bottom surface between these sides flat or nearly fla-t, as seen ati i in said Fig. 4. This leaves the upper surface of the inner sole of the boot ilat in the center in the part just in rear of the toes, or against the ball of the foot, and dishing or concave at the sides, and with a depression to receive the under surface or bearing the great toe of the foot. Now, when a a boot made on this last is put on, thix sole, immediately sets or beds into the colzcavity ot the inner sole, Jthe bearing-points of the t'oot being supported by the iiat surface i i', the rounding sides of the t'oot by the concavities 7L i tz", and the liollowing part of' the font comes between, the points being left free from pressure. lith this bottom construction of the last I am enable to make the top surface at and just in rear of the toes or in front of the instep tiattened, as seen at 7c I, which gives to the boot au easy and snug fitfrom the time it is first put on the foot. The ends of the dotted line in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, being suppssed to represent the point where the vainp or upper leather ofthe boot meets orjoins the inner sole, it will readily be seen, by the greater amount of space below the dottedline in Fig. 4, how much larger amount ot the foot sets into the depression made in the inner sole from the first in the boot formed on my last than in boots made on lasts'lilie those shown in Figs 5 and 6, in which boots these depressions are made by after Wear of the boot. It Will also be readily seen how much more iinished in appearance a boot so made Will wear kthan those made on the old lasts.

This form of construction, by giving to the inner sole of the boot a curved shape, into which the sole of the foot is embedded, and particularl)7 forming the depression into which the ball of the great toe sets, prevents the boot from slipping on the foot, as the curved sides and the. depression bear closely against the surface of the foot and toe.

l donot claim a last made with a longitudinal or transverse coueavity or arch, nor do I claim making the sides or edges of the last rounding, nor giving a general transverse convexity to the, bottom of the last; but

My improved last as made with the at under surface, i i', toe protuberance g, and the AHat upper surface, h I, this Whole formation being` in manner and for the purpose set forth.

Signed by me this 5th day of September, A. D., 1863.

I. N. C. SAVELS.

Vitnesses J. B. CROSBY, FRANCIS GoULD. 

